Dragonsoul
by UmbreonMessiah
Summary: A year ago, the legacy of the Ryumoto clan threatened the Fire Country. Now it may consume the entire world. Facing untold danger, can Naruto protect both Hinata and the world? *DISCONTINUED*
1. Chapter 1

**Dragonsoul**

Chapter 1

Dusty shelves lined the walls of a forgotten room in the Hyuuga estate. Every unclean inch of it was an affront to all that the clan stood for, an insult to its very nature. It was imperfect, a monument to a time of failure and disgrace that the clan could never recover from. A memory that Hyuuga Hiashi gladly kept in order to remind the elders that despite their rampant bureaucracy and power grabs, the true will of the Hyuuga clan was not something they could control. There was a time where their cheap tricks and manipulation had the ears of not only Konoha's elite, but also its ruling class. Those times were behind them now, forever stained by a single act of rebellion.

"You haven't touched it at all."

Hiashi stepped to the side as his daughter, Hyuuga Hinata, stepped back into her old room. Her bright, lavender eyes flickered back and forth over the dirty corners and unkempt windowsills, trying to spot anything her mind did not recall. Satisfied that her assessment had been correct, she stepped forward into the room, disturbing the musty air with the purity that always seemed to follow in her footsteps.

"Hanabi refused to allow me," her father said with a smile. "She also threatened the maids."

Hinata stifled a giggle. "I can't imagine that went over well."

"It didn't."

A small cloud of dust billowed towards the ceiling as Hinata pulled one of her old drawers open. She was actually displeased that no one had cleaned her old room since she had left, but she kept quiet about it. It would have upset her father and sister to know she was disappointed that her room had ended up in this condition, especially considering how far Hanabi went in order to keep it untouched. She also felt it would be improper to complain to her family about it, seeing as she had relinquished her ties to them not long ago.

Rummaging through her old things produced a small, leather-bound notepad. It left behind an empty spot in the sea of dust as she picked it up to examine both its covers. She quickly recognized it as her old journal, a place where she kept the thoughts she dared not share with others. She opened the neglected chronicle, flipping through pages until she reached blank space. A glance at the last recorded date caused her to gasp and snap the booklet shut.

_I haven't used this since the day before I was supposed to marry Katai_.

"Has it really been a year?" she whispered to herself.

"Is everything all right, Hinata?" Hiashi asked, taking a step into his daughter's room.

"Yes, it's fine father," she replied in the rigid, respectful tone she had been raised to use. "There are just...a lot of memories in here."

Taking a step towards the north end of her room, Hinata stepped in front of the luxurious mirror that hung on the wall. It too was graced with a mantle of dust that seemed to place it in another period in time. She quickly wiped the surface with the arm of her jacket, peering at her reflection inquisitively. Her body was superimposed over images of each time she had approached the mirror, starting from the day she had received it. Even the phantom of a year ago seemed nothing like her. Compared to the ghosts of yesteryear, Hinata was no longer the shy, timid creature she could always remember being.

Though she discarded her introverted personality thanks to Naruto, it was only recently that she fully embraced her newfound confidence. Gone were the puffy jackets and sweaters that concealed her figure, replaced with form fitting black shirts or more traditional Hyuuga-style battle attire. Since she had renounced her Hyuuga name though, she had taken to mixing her old clothing with newer clothes in order to imitate the styles of the average villager. She refused to give up her heritage so easily, but she knew she could not hold onto it so tightly. As she stood in front of glass that told tales of years gone by, she adjusted the purple over shirt that adorned her black tank top, giggling slightly towards the girl that had once been dressed in an overbearing beige sweater, crowned with a surprisingly awkward mop of dark hair.

"You've come a long way," Hiashi said as though he could read her mind.

"You think so?" she asked humbly. "Sometimes I still feel like the same little girl. The same little failure..."

Hiashi reached out and held his daughter by her shoulder gently, shaking his head. "Nothing could be further from the truth."

Hinata smiled, reaching up to squeeze her father's hand affectionately before returning to her task. She gathered up various things from her room, including her recently rediscovered journal, and placed them in a small bag she had left at the sliding door to her room. She took a final look around the deserted abode before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, smiling anew as she turned away from her memories and back into the light of day.

"Let Hanabi have my room," she said. "I don't plan on coming back any time soon."

"Please reconsider," Hiashi pleaded. Hinata simply shook her head again, taking the step out of her old room and back into the main garden of the estate.

"I've already made up my mind, father. Please respect that."

"It's not that," Hiashi frowned. "You're not safe. You know the threat you represent to the elders. Even if they no longer have the sway they used to, they still think you're dangerous. They'll use any means necessary to prove it. And to get rid of you. I cannot protect you outside of these walls."

The pale-eyed girl bit her lip as her father spoke. She could not deny that everything he said was true. Konoha had become a different place after last year's fiasco at the wedding and as a result the Hyuuga elders were in a state of disarray. Some knew that their place at the head of the pack was in jeopardy, and thusly, resorted to any means necessary to stay in power as long as possible. It was an uphill battle that they were all destined to lose, but they still held some say in Konoha's political circles. They would do anything they could in order to maintain what little power they still had left.

One of the tactics employed by the Hyuuga elders had resulted in an almost village-wide assault on Tsunade's character. She had been labeled weak and unfit for duty, and more than once the daimyo had attempted to remove her as Hokage. So far, none of these endeavors had resulted in anything but ruffling the feathers of villagers and shinobi alike. Yet, there was always the danger that Tsunade would be replaced by someone whose ear was bent towards the wrinkled mouth of a Hyuuga elder.

In addition, there was this nagging feeling that someone was always watching Hinata when she was not within shouting distance of a public establishment. She had always known it was the Hyuuga elders watching over her, waiting for the perfect moment to excise her like a rotten tooth. The danger that they represented was why Hinata had moved out of Naruto's apartment, and into the care of another family that was more than willing to look after her and protect her.

"I know," Hinata admitted solemnly. "But I'll be all right. I didn't become a shinobi for nothing. I'll be okay, I promise. Now I have to go... Hana is waiting for me."

Hiashi looked his daughter over once more, a gleam of pride in his eyes as he nodded to her. They exchanged one last look before Hinata finally gave in and bowed to her father, turning around silently and leaving the compound without so much as a goodbye.

* * *

"You okay?"

Inuzuka Hana growled gently as Hinata exited the Hyuuga compound, scratching one of her dogs behind its ear. Kiba's older sister kept her face stern, eyes drifting to the right slightly as though she were keeping a close eye on the bushes just outside the compound. The ex-heiress noticed immediately, nodding to Hana curtly and clutching the bag to her chest tightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Hinata said softly. "Thanks for waiting."

"Not a problem."

Together the pair of kunoichi walked through the crowded streets of Konohagakure. No matter what horrible things happened to the village or its people, the citizens never seemed to let on that anything was out of the ordinary. For as long as Hinata could remember, the villagers had put on a brave face in order to work through any trouble that came their way. They showed extraordinary strength for ordinary people, which caused a feeling of pride to well up within the once pampered kunoichi. It always made her feel good to know that a person did not need power or wealth to do what was right.

"You're being followed again," Hana muttered softly as they walked.

"I know," Hinata said. "But it's just Neji this time. You can relax."

The dog-user almost asked how Hinata could possibly have known who was tailing them, but quickly realized the silliness of the question and dropped it. Secure in the knowledge that one of Konoha's best jounin was watching over them, Hana allowed herself to relax as they made their way past the shopping district. Minutes later, Hinata beheld the splendour that was the Inuzuka household. Others would look at her strangely for insinuating that the humble homestead that acted more often as Konoha's veterinary clinic than a house splendorous, but Hinata ignored those voices. To her, the Inuzukas's home was the greatest place in the world. She was still overjoyed that they had offered to take her in when she had asked.

She still had a lot to make up to them, in her mind.

"Sure you didn't leave anything behind?" Hana asked as they approached the gates.

"I'm sure," Hinata nodded.

Not needing anything more to be convinced, Hana opened the gate to her home and ushered Hinata inside, just like the very first time the white-eyed girl had come to live with them. Together they walked up the small pathway and up the wooden porch, taking a moment to greet Kuromaru as the enormous canine paced across the front yard. The large dog's presence meant that Tsume was back from her mission, and since Kuromaru wasn't waiting for them or presenting any letters, it meant that she was perfectly okay.

"You'd think I could stop worrying about my mother so much," Hana rolled her eyes, making Hinata giggle.

Despite Hana's concern for her mother, the conversation the two of them shared as they crossed paths was short and to the point. Tsume's mission, though top secret, had been a resounding success according to her, which left both Hana and Hinata quite happy. The way that Hana and Tsume acted around each other brought about by a sense of family that Hinata had sorely missed while she was a part of the Hyuuga clan. She knew her father cared deeply for her, but there were far more bad memories than good ones nestled within the nooks and crannies of her old compound.

Hinata excused herself as Tsume and Hana tended to dinner. The stairs creaked as Hinata ascended to the second floor, opening the door to her room and quickly closely it behind her. One thing she had learned while living with the Inuzukas was that not only did they value their privacy, but they were also incredibly loud. Closing her door was an attempt to mimic the first quality while dealing with the latter. Hinata found that it was a decent solution, aside from the side effect of isolating her in her room. She would not have minded so much, were it not for the reason the room was available in the first place.

That was something that had taken her quite a while to get over.

Settling back into her cozy abode, Hinata plucked the most interesting item she had recovered from her old home out of her bag. She examined the cover of the journal once again, as if she were trying to decide what to do with it. She considered disposing of it, hoping that the various events transcribed within would disappear from her mind entirely. Yet she was compelled to keep it, the grimy pages calling out to her in a peculiar way. After a moment of indecision she walked over to the small desk in the corner of the room and procured a pen from inside one of its drawers.

"I have a lot of catching up to do," she whispered, letting the smallest hint of a smile crack from her lips.

* * *

Hatake Kakashi was a man of mysteries. He was one of Konoha's best shinobi, as well as a victim and profiteer of circumstance. He was famous the world over as the Copy Ninja, a man of a thousand mimicked jutsu, and only one to call his own. He had more accolades than most Kages, and he had only just turned thirty.

It was in the moments where Kakashi could reflect on his own history and accomplishments that he wondered why all his really important meetings tended to happen in thematically inappropriate places. He and his compatriot were currently standing on the roof of a building not far from Konoha's resort district. The steam that came from the hot springs did a good job of covering both shinobi as they made it to the roof, but Kakashi always wondered why these conversations never took place some place he wanted to be, such as the miso restaurant.

"So the rumours about Naruto are true?" the man sitting next to Kakashi asked. He was a strange individual with incredibly piercing eyes, his visage almost constantly framed by a stiff gray head guard bearing the symbol of Konohagakure. Few knew his real name, his best friends often referring to him by long disused code names. Kakashi knew him as Tenzo, but he much preferred the name the Hokage had recently given him: Yamato.

"I can't say anything for certain," Kakashi replied, keeping his voice just loud enough to be heard. "I know that the villagers are getting paranoid however, and things will only get worse once news of his last mission gets out."

Yamato's gaze tilted downward in contemplation. He'd been privy to the report of Naruto's last excursion, detailing his rather brutal victory against a band of missing-nin. Since the day of the Kyuubi's defeat, there had been concerns that the Fourth's seal would not hold forever. Naruto's missions had seen him acting far more violent than normal on occasion, finally culminating in his most recent act of aggression. Though no one would ever fault a shinobi for using lethal force, the way in which Naruto had killed his targets seemed to be ripped straight from the pages of a horror novel. Yamato shuddered as he wiped the images from his mind, looking back up at Kakashi.

"So that's why you requested me to take your place and reform your team?" Yamato asked.

"No one would be more suited to handle it than you," Kakashi said, his solitary eye showing no hint of emotion. "Besides, if I don't step down, they'll find a way to remove me...by force, if necessary."

Yamato realized that this was one of the rare instances where knowing less about the situation was probably beneficial to his health. He straightened out, looking Kakashi straight in the eye. "But that's not the only thing bothering you, is it? It's about _her_."

Kakashi sighed, looking upwards as though he were searching Yamato's words for greater meaning. "Yes. If the rumours are true, then Naruto isn't the only person we should be worried about."

"So that's what all this secrecy is about?" Yamato asked, motioning to the rooftop.

"It's not the only reason," Kakashi whispered. "Danzo's in on this, too. He's apparently mobilizing Root."

Yamato folded his arms slowly as he bit his lip gently. "Root? There's a name I haven't heard in a while. What do you suppose he has them doing now?"

"Hard to say, though I wouldn't be surprised if he's planning on interfering with you somehow."

"Wouldn't be all that shocking." Yamato sighed, turning his head towards the Hokage's Tower looming in the distance. "Any speculations?"

"Plenty," Kakashi chuckled. "But nothing concrete. I'll tell you more if I get anything, but until then, please watch over Naruto and Hinata for me."

The two jounin vanished without any further words, leaving the rooftop barren. Not far away, a dark-haired boy sat on top of a rustic water tower, idly painting a picture in a small sketchbook. His pale face showed no interest or thought about what he was drawing, even as he finished the last streak of Kakashi's hair, capturing the moment of the Copy Ninja's recent meeting almost perfectly.

* * *

A dazzling set of strokes finished the last character on the line as Hinata let out a sigh, placing her pen down to look over everything she'd written in the last hour. She'd been playing catch up with her old journal, filling in the gap of information between her last entry and when she had found the book again. Despite all the things that had occurred in the last year, the former heiress found it all surprisingly easy to write down. Her memories did not evoke terror or sadness like she had expected them to. She was instead filled with an unusual sense of accomplishment, as though she'd finally conquered all the negative thoughts and feelings that had plagued her over the course of her life. She was happy, yet at the same time she somehow felt empty.

"It still doesn't feel quite right," she whispered, looking around her room. "But I can live with that."

"Talking to yourself again, Hinata-chan?"

A loud yelp echoed through the room moments before Hinata attempted to mount her chair once more. Quickly brushing the frizz out of her startled hair, she turned to the windowsill to see Naruto hanging off the edge with his characteristic smirk beaming at full power. The fear that had welled up inside Hinata dissipated instantly, leaving a quirky smile in its place.

"No more than usual," she finally replied. "I see you're back."

"They almost didn't let me back into town," Naruto grumbled. "There was all this junk about the stuff I did and..."

The sentence failed to complete itself as Hinata launched herself at her lover, wrapping her arms around his body and pulling him from the windowsill into a massive hug. The two let their stress melt away into the liquid hot kiss they shared, forgetting all the sadness and difficulty of the last few days as they were drawn away into the torrent of their emotions.

It was Hinata that ended the embrace, putting her finger between their daring lips as she flashed another quirky smile at Naruto, looking up at him with her pale eyes. "I knew I felt something. I'm sorry."

"What're you sorry for?" he asked defensively. "You couldn't have stopped it."

She wanted to say so many comforting things to Naruto. She was deeply in tune with his emotional state, but he was burying his thoughts and feelings where even the Kyuubi could not drag it out. Regardless, Hinata knew no words would ever cheer the blond up after the unspeakable things he had done in the name of his country. She simply repeated her last action, hoping to drain away his suffering with her kiss.

"So how was the old place?" Naruto asked, trying to change the subject.

"Depressing." Hinata sighed and crossed her arms, casting her gaze sideways in an irate manner. "They actually hadn't cleaned my room since I was there last."

Naruto chuckled, reaching out with his hand to ruffle Hinata's hair. "You miss them, don't you?"

Though she tried to hide her true feelings, Hinata knew that trying was utterly pointless. She blushed sheepishly, grabbing Naruto's hand in order to hold it tightly. "Yes...so very much. But I've made my choice."

"I'm not gonna make you second guess yourself."

"I know you won't."

In that moment, Hinata was reminded why she fell in love with Naruto in the first place. It was his determination – determination that she now possessed – that had made her grow closer to him. It was his unfailing devotion to her and his friends that cemented her feelings. A year ago, she would not have thought it possible, but now she realized she loved the miscreant more than she ever had before. It was a thought that brought a once-familiar rosy tint to her cheeks as she reached up to cup his face.

"You're so cute when you're noble," she laughed.

"Wait what?" Naruto blinked. "What's that supposed to mean!?"

Another kiss stopped his complaining, leaving Hinata lost in her thoughts again. Naruto had changed since their encounter with Kakeru a year ago, and he had ended up taking his job more seriously as a result. He smashed through the chuunin exams with flying colors, dispelling many of the rumours that he would never amount to anything. His sense of fashion had changed as well, much to the joy of half of Konoha and the surrounding wildlife. Though he tried to retain his orange colors more often than not, more serious missions saw him sporting more standard attire. Greens and blues were as much a part of Naruto's wardrobe as the more revealing colors, marking his transition from playful prankster to warrior. Most were not convinced, but Hinata knew enough about the boy to know it was difficult for him to put on something that failed to make him stand out.

"You shouldn't worry too much," Hinata giggled, running her fingers through Naruto's hair. "There are so many other things we could be doing with this free time."

"Like what?" he responded, his face curving ever so slightly into a wicked grin.

"I think you can figure it out."

There was a point in Hyuuga Hinata's life where the prospect of seducing her boyfriend would never have occurred to her, let alone doing it in someone else's home. Yet the darker parts of her mind were at work, parts she normally kept quiet and under control when around others. She was often ashamed of the vicious influence that whispered horrid things into her ears, but there were times where it encouraged her to do things she desperately wished she had the courage to do alone. Whether or not she was weak for relying on it did not matter. What did matter was that she liked what it was helping her do to Naruto.

She liked it _a lot_.

* * *

Tsunade was furious. No, furious was the wrong word. She was _enraged_. She held the report of Naruto's latest mission in her hands tentatively, trying to decide whom she should decapitate first. If they were lucky, she would _not_ use the paper to do it.

"What in the _hell_ were you thinking!?" she bellowed, slamming her hands on the desk hard enough to make the wood crack. "You let him go in _alone_!? When you _knew_ something like this would happen!?"

Considering the history that Jiraiya and Tsunade shared, the hermit was rather surprised at how tame his former teammate was being. Her current outburst was the lightest he'd ever seen given the amount of trouble that Naruto's last mission had caused, and he was quite grateful for that. All it would have taken was something else, no matter how insignificant, and she probably would have claimed a few of his ribs as casualties.

"Calm down Tsunade," he said. "Things could have been much worse."

"Explain to me _how_," Tsunade snarled. "Tell me how it could get much worse than having _documented_ evidence that Naruto is a threat!"

"I don't think my report said anything of the sort!"

"It doesn't _have to_!" The Hokage stood up abruptly, pacing over to her window and slamming her fist against the window frame. "You and I both know that in this line of work, bad things happen. There've been some missions where the only way to get out safely was to commit near genocide. But this..._this_! This makes him look like a psychotic murderer!"

Being a ninja meant that more often than not a job required lethal force. Shinobi were trained from day one to accept that fact and deal with it when the time came. Eventually, killing people became normal, and no more than a passing thought was given to most kills in the line of work. What Naruto had done to those bandits however, was not just lethal force. The great Sannin would never admit it, but when Naruto had unleashed the Kyuubi's power during the mission, he had become afraid. For the first time in years, the elder ninja had felt terror. The boy had been beyond brutal in his execution of the thugs, going so far as to leave a few of them to bleed to death with various organs and body parts missing.

Killing was one thing. Sadistic murder was another.

"You know how this is going to look," Tsunade said.

"I do," was all Jiraiya could offer. "I don't know what else I can say, Tsunade. I can hide it if you want. Burn the report. I'll make another one, and we can..."

"Hiding it won't do any good." Tsunade took her seat again, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Eventually the news will get out. Most of the jounin figured out why you'd been taking Naruto with you almost immediately. We can't hide this forever."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Jiraiya asked.

"I've already set something up," Tsunade sighed. "Kakashi's giving him the briefing."

"You mean _him_?" Jiraiya blinked. "Are you sure that's necessary?"

"And you think it isn't?" Tsunade stared her friend down for a moment before turning her gaze back to her desk, running a finger up one of the new cracks. "There are other things that need to be considered as well."

"Like what?"

It occurred to Tsunade that Jiraiya was probably feigning ignorance to the subject. He was either testing her to see what her reactions were, or he was trying to protect Naruto as best he was able. Given the startling developments, she knew that there was very little he could do short of spiriting Naruto away for another several years. Were he not Konoha's greatest informant, she would have accused him of being out of touch.

"Like Hinata," she said gravely. "There's no telling what kind of an effect all this is having on her."

"Don't you have people watching her?" Jiraiya asked. "I thought that was a priority for you."

"It _was_," Tsunade scowled. "At least until Hinata realized that people were tailing her. It's very hard to spy on a member of the Hyuuga clan, especially one as well-trained in recon and espionage as Hinata is."

"I get the feeling there's more to this," Jiraiya grumbled. "I haven't been gone _that_ long, have I?"

"Far too long if you ask me," Tsunade replied cleverly. When it was apparent that Jiraiya did not understand her intention, she continued. "Hinata has been incredibly secretive involving her connection to Naruto and the Kyuubi. Yet, despite how much it bothers me, she hasn't done anything wrong so far. I can't find a reason to spy on her."

The look in Jiraiya's eyes said he was more concerned than he let on, but nothing came of it. "You're sure about this? You're not worried?"

"I'm plenty worried," Tsunade corrected the hermit. "I've been worried about her and Naruto since this whole problem began. There's simply nothing I can do that's within bounds."

"And what about out of bounds?"

The Sannin had known each other long enough to know what the other was thinking. Tsunade leaned forward slightly, looking up at her long time friend with apprehension. "You mean without council or Daimyo approval, I assume."

"Indeed."

"Why are you so worried about her?" Tsunade asked cautiously. "You only act this way when something's bothering you."

"I just have a bad feeling is all," Jiraiya admitted. "Isn't that enough?"

"Not this time, I'm afraid."

Jiraiya dropped the subject, turning around to face the door. "All right then, you win this round. But if anything happens, just tell me, all right?"

"There's another reason I asked you here."

"And what might that be?"

A moment of disturbing silence followed as Tsunade quietly rose to her feet, walking over to Jiraiya so she could whisper into his ear.

"Naruto's sixteen now. Don't you think it's time he knew the truth?"

* * *

"I win again, Forehead-girl!"

Sakura scowled as Ino practically paraded around the barbeque restaurant. The medic could hardly be blamed for not excelling at the ridiculous games that the blonde chuunin developed in her spare time, but Ino would hear none of it. As far as she was concerned, Sakura had lost fair and square, which made Ino the victor. That, in Ino's books, was cause for celebration.

"Do you have to be such a bitch?" Sakura growled. "Seriously, it's just a game."

"A game _you lost_!" Ino squealed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "You remember our deal, yes?"

Sakura's pink locks did nothing to hide the blush that came to her cheeks. "I never agreed to that!"

"Oh, yes you did!" Ino grinned, standing proudly with her hands at her hips. "You said if I beat you you'd ..."

"Ino, sweetheart, that's enough."

The blonde instantly sank back into her chair, pouting deeply. "Sorry Chouji, I got carried away again."

Akimichi Chouji was a burly young man whose weight was only exceeded by his courage and devotion. Others would have said at one point that that was saying something, but that was before Chouji had almost died trying to retrieve Sasuke, and well before the majority of them learned he could snap them in half like twigs from forty feet. His size belied his agility and his creativity, making him something of a "surprise bomb" as Ino had once called it. He was the embodiment of his clan's philosophy, and proud of it, too.

"It's all right Ino," Chouji breamed. "You're still getting the hang of it."

"I have to say, _Ino-pig_," Sakura teased, "you certainly have been getting more...reserved."

"What!?" Ino shrieked. "I have _not_!"

"Yes you have!" Sakura laughed. "That's the first time you've done something like that in almost a week!"

"Oh, goodness. I think I feel my heart stopping!" Ino clutched her chest, making mock choking sounds as Chouji and Sakura just rolled their eyes. Eventually she stopped, leaning forward with her chin pressed against her palms. "Seriously though Sakura, there's a reason I asked you out here in the first place."

"And what would that be?"

"Well, far be it from me to try and pin female stereotypes on anyone," Ino began, "but you haven't gone out with anyone in almost a full year! I mean, whatever happened to you and Lee?"

"We just didn't work out is all," Sakura grimaced, recoiling from Ino's sudden outburst. "I guess we just weren't as compatible as I thought...why do you care so much?"

"I've seen the look in your eyes," Ino whimpered. "You're lonely, and nobody should be _that _lonely."

"Hey, just because you need to run around and fool around with guy after guy doesn't mean I have to, _Ino-pig_."

Ino stared hard at her friend for a moment before leaning closely, talking in barely a whisper. "Sakura...are you just not into guys? Because if that's true, you don't have to be all-secretive. We're friends, right? I mean, I don't mind if you're..."

"NO!" Sakura yelped. "No! Kami no! I mean...no, I'm not. It's just.... how do I explain this?"

Ino shook her head. "You don't need to. I think I understand."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I do," Ino smirked. "Now you run along. I'll cover the bill."

Sakura took a moment to survey the amount of food that the three shinobi had consumed, and panicked slightly. "Are you sure? I mean it's..."

"It's _nothing_ compared to some of the bills I've paid before," Ino chuckled. "Now hurry up and get back to the hospital. Your shift starts soon, doesn't it?"

In the face of one of Tsunade's rants, there was no need for convincing. Sakura left with enough speed to knock several grills over, thankfully hurting no one. Ino spared a small laugh at her friend's expense before turning to face Chouji, who was glaring at her condemningly.

"Was that really necessary?" he asked.

"Of course it was!" Ino cried defensively. "How could it not be necessary?"

"Well, like Sakura said," Chouji teased, "not every girl needs to fool around with guy after guy to be happy."

"Oh, hush up you!" she growled, glaring at her teammate angrily. When the moment of rage passed, Ino blushed lightly before leaning up and kissing Chouji as deeply as she could given her position, then quickly returned to her meal.

"You didn't tell her about us," was Chouji's only response.

"I wanted to," Ino whimpered. "I want to tell everyone. But I just..."

"Nervous?"

"I don't know why. It's not you, it's..."

"Just relax," Chouji smiled, patting Ino on the shoulder.

"Shikamaru knows, doesn't he?"

"It's Shikamaru. Would you expect him _not_ to?"

"You're the best, you know that?" Ino blushed, returning to her barbeque pork.

"You keep telling me, anyway," Chouji laughed.

* * *

Tsume ascended the staircase slowly, her legs a bit stiff from a full week of active duty. What she needed was a long bath. She was more hungry than tired, and figured that her luxuries could wait till after a nice, warm meal. Hinata deserved to eat as well, so she decided to fetch the girl herself, rather than have Hana run all over the house.

"I'm no cripple," Tsume had said to her daughter. "I can go get Hinata myself, thank you very much."

The wild woman chuckled softly as she recalled the face her daughter had made only moments ago. It was good to see that good spirits still existed in Konoha, considering all the things that had happened to it. The village had gone through some rough times and was definitely beginning to show it. That didn't concern Tsume too much. There were other things more important than politics and power struggles.

Family, for one.

Tsume approached Hinata's door and knocked on it lightly, only to have the polite gesture backfire. The door swung open, having not been closed properly, catching Hinata in the middle of changing clothes.

"Tsume-san!" Hinata yelped, covering her chest with the shirt she was about to put on.

"Oi, sorry about that," Tsume said, blushing only slightly and turning her head to the side.

"No, it's okay," Hinata squirmed. "I'm the one that didn't shut the door."

A quick glance around the room showed that Hinata definitely hadn't been in a hurry to do much when she got back. It was still littered in random things the girl had procured from her old home, with a small notebook opened on her desk. The clothes she had been wearing earlier were piled in a corner, looking lonely and forgotten.

"Anyway, dinner's ready when you are," Tsume said. "No rush or anything."

"Arigato, Tsume-san."

The door clicked shut as Tsume left Hinata to her devices. A second later however, the door opened again as Tsume poked her head through, wearing a somewhat devilish smile. "Oh and by the way? Naruto is welcome to dinner as well."

As soon as Tsume left, the pile of clothes in the corner of Hinata's room exploded into a cloud of smoke, leaving a naked Naruto in their place. The blond looked at his girlfriend sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Damn. She's good."

* * *

Dawn was the time Tsunade hated the most, especially on Sunday mornings. She had learned several things in her long lifetime, and one of them was that no matter how hard she tried, Shizune would always find a way to ruin a perfectly good sleep with something as trivial as work.

"Good morning, Tsunade-sama!"

Sandy tresses gave the fifth Hokage some decency as her niece and secretary barged into her living quarters, pulling the drapes open to bathe the room in vile sunlight. Tsunade hissed much like a vampire, throwing her hands up to shield her face from the offensive daylight.

"Haven't you ever heard of a Sunday?" Tsunade growled. "I wanted to sleep in!"

"Maybe you've forgotten that you're Hokage," Shizune giggled. "You don't get to sleep in."

Tonton squealed happily in Shizune's grasp as Tsunade gave the small pig its morning pat on the head, pulling on her green jacket to make herself at least appear decent. The two women wasted very little time, putting together a small breakfast before getting down to business. Shizune handed Tsunade several files, to which the blonde woman groaned.

"You can't seriously expect me to start figuring out mission assignments all ready," she said flatly.

"Don't blame me because you were up all night with Jiraiya-sama," Shizune chimed, pouring Tsunade some tea. "By the way, what _were_ you two up to, if I might ask?"

"Certainly not what you seem to think we were up to." Tsunade swatted her niece on the head gently, knocking away Shizune's goofy grin. "It was important business."

"Involving...?" Shizune probed.

"Naruto."

"Anything I should know about?"

"He could be in a lot of trouble," Tsunade explained. "And we've considered letting him know who his father is."

To this, Shizune nearly dropped her plate. "Wh-what!? B-But I thought..."

"He deserves to know, Shizune. The elders, councils...they don't have any right to tell the kid he doesn't deserve to know who his father is."

"Are you sure this is legal?" Shizune asked. "They might claim you're violating the decree set down by the Sandaime."

"To hell with them," Tsunade snarled. "The decisions they've made about Naruto treat him like he's property. We'll let him know, even if we have to do it secretly."

Silence followed Tsunade's words, killing the conversation entirely. With nothing else to do, the Hokage picked up one of the scrolls that Shizune had brought, and began reading through it. The angry scowl she had been making slowly faded away into an amused smile as she read one of the details of one of the missions.

"This will make an excellent starting point for the new Team Seven," Tsunade grinned.

* * *

Yamato tried as hard as he could to hide the consternation he was feeling. He had never actually met the members of Kakashi's team before, but their reputations preceded them. The idea of someone taking the white-haired jounin's place would be difficult for them to accept, even if it was only temporary. Though Naruto and Sakura were accustomed to working with other shinobi, they had done their best to avoid tampering with their original team makeup. The only exception they had made was with Ryumoto Yakusho, who had acted as a provisional replacement for Uchiha Sasuke. Yamato had wanted to avoid bringing up the subject of a third team member as well, but even that seemed out of his control.

The ANBU operative was not sure what to make of the dark-haired boy who had been selected to be the team's third member. His skin was deathly pale and uncharacteristically thin, evoking images of isolation and malnutrition. The fact that he seemed to be interested solely in his scroll and paintbrush made him seem even more awkward. His name was apparently Sai, but Yamato figured that was just a codename, much like his own moniker. Yamato also had other suspicions about Sai's origins and why he would be a part of Team Seven, but chose not to do or say anything. There was something unearthly and terrifying about the silent painter that made Yamato even more anxious than he already was.

"I still don't get why we have to remake the team! It's fine the way it is!"

Naruto's unmistakable shout echoed across the clearing as he emerged from the side streets along with Sakura. A large orange overcoat hung down to his ankles, patterned with black flames at the bottom in homage to the fiery passion of the people of Konoha. The rest of his attire was completely black, save for the blue of his hitai-ate and geta, which clashed horribly with the rest of his ensemble. It took everything in Yamato's power not to swear profusely at the sight, being the only person present with any knowledge of how frighteningly similar to the fourth Hokage Naruto appeared.

Sakura, on the other hand, seemed to have been taking fashion tips from her best friend. True to a promise she had made to herself, she was once again denoted it by the scarlet clothing she wore. Her incredible medical skill was overshadowed by her rather provocative attire as she had traded in her modest clothes for something far more risqué. The only sleeves her top had were the ends of her fishnet halter top, a vestige of the criss-crossing fabric wrapping around the upper half of her midriff. Her black shorts were now graced with a partner in the form of a red half-skirt that held on to her hips tightly and draped down her right leg. Her left leg was left completely exposed, showing off the creamy skin and toned calf muscles that did not do her true strength any justice.

"I'm sorry Naruto," Sakura said exasperatedly. "It's not like I have any control over it!"

The two almost began an argument when they noticed that they had company. Putting the issue aside for the moment, the two original members of Team Seven walked towards the bridge that marked their usual meeting place and greeted their new leader with as little chagrin as possible.

"Good morning," Sakura smiled pleasantly. "I'm Haruno Sakura."

"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto grunted.

"It's a pleasure, I assure you," Yamato said. "I'm Yamato, and as I'm sure you're aware, I'll be acting as the leader of your team until Kakashi returns. I understand that these might be difficult circumstances for you both, but I hope we can at least remain civil."

"Well, I can't speak for Naruto," Sakura growled, giving her teammate a deadly glare, "but I haven't got any problems with it. Kakashi-sensei is a busy man, and the village needs all the hands it can get."

"He didn't need to find a replacement," Naruto complained. "We could have just as easily done these missions on our own."

"Don't be rude!" Sakura shouted. "What's gotten into you, Naruto?"

"It's perfectly understandable," Yamato chuckled. "I just hope I can live up to Kakashi's reputation."

"Are these two the ones I'm to work with?"

The original members of Team Seven tilted their heads to see around Yamato as Sai spoke up. Both of them took a moment to evaluate the slender male before turning their eyes back to Yamato.

"Who's this guy?" Naruto questioned.

"This is Sai," Yamato explained cautiously. "He's been selected to be your teammate."

An uneasy feeling radiated from Naruto and Sakura as Sai introduced himself. The enigmatic appeared to be a blank slate, his face showing absolutely no reaction to his new teammates' disdain for his presence. Several words were left unsaid between the three until Naruto took a step forward.

"Don't get too excited about being a part of our team," Naruto said. "It won't be permanent, I promise you."

"I had no intentions of getting comfortable," Sai replied, his eyes turning towards Sakura. "You...share his feelings, yes?"

"I do," Sakura nodded. "We don't mean to sound harsh. It's just..."

"How interesting," Sai hummed, turning his back to them. "I certainly hope you won't let your feelings get in the road of your job."

Yamato's eyes widened as Naruto panicked, grabbing Sakura by her shoulders to prevent her from slugging Sai. If the pallid boy noticed, he certainly did not let on that he had, ignoring the both of them as he began to walk towards the town gate.

"S-so what's the mission?" Naruto asked, putting all his effort into restraining his friend.

"We have a request from a town on the border of the Land of Waterfalls," Yamato explained. "It seems they've been having a problem with a group of missing-nin who have resorted to petty crime. It's a low-end job, but it's what we were given."

"Whatever," Sakura huffed. "Let's just get going."

The group made its way to the gates of Konoha, taking time to make sure they had enough supplies for the journey. When they were certain they were ready, they bid farewell to the guards and headed out into the wilderness.

Ahead of them, Sai finished a small picture he'd been drawing. He took a moment to look at it and the picture on the page next to it, comparing Yamato's face now to the way he had drawn it previously. With nothing new to add, he closed the sketchbook, slipping it and the evidence of his spying into the small bag on his back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Dragonsoul**

Chapter 2

Ino yawned deeply as she walked the streets of Konoha on her way to the flower shop. She had a few days off, and decided it would be best to put her other talents to work. Being able to control peoples' minds and bodies was fun, but she often preferred the subtle approach of controlling people through speech. On top of that, selling flowers was a welcome diversion from the sort of work her job usually entailed.

A peculiar noise caused her to come to a slow stop. She turned and faced the direction the noise had originated from only to find nothing but an eager squirrel rummaging through someone's discarded belongings. She shrugged her shoulders before she continued down the street, acting as though nothing had happened.

Moments later the noise came again. Ino reacted much more swiftly this time, but once again there was nothing out of the ordinary to be seen. Worry began to set in as Ino contemplated whether she was simply being paranoid or if she was actually being followed. A moment later she dismissed the problem again, realizing that the chances of someone following her were slim. After all, why would someone bother with the beautiful blonde walking down a street all by her lonesome?

"Wait a second..." Ino grumbled, questioning her own logic.

A moment later the sound came again. This time it emanated from the bushes to her left, where a faint rustle gave away the perpetrator's position. Fully assured that she was not imagining things she tossed a kunai into the foliage, barking at her stalker.

"I know you're in there! Come out and face me!"

A small figure leapt from the shrub, moving too fast for Ino to see. It collided with her, temporarily knocking the wind out of her lungs and throwing her onto her back. As she recovered, she was mildly aware of something nestled on top of her chest. Baffled, the blonde tilted her head to look at what was lying on top of her, only to be greeted by the cheekiest of masked smiles and a body of grey and black fur.

"Hoooey!" Zurui snickered. "Aren't these things _lovely_? I could get lost in them all day!"

The raccoon expected to see the cheerful face of a lovely woman as he looked up. Instead he was greeted by the pure white eyes of Yamanaka Ino, who was currently frothing with rage. Her fist created a mini crater as she slammed it into the dirt, letting out a scream that could be heard across the village and deep into the surrounding forests.

"JIYUUUUMARUUUU!"

* * *

Naruto's ears twitched as a faint noise reached them. He turned to face the direction that he and the others had come from, staring back through the tree line with a slight frown.

"Did...you guys hear something just now?"

"You're imagining things," Sakura said, placing her hands on her hips. "Now quit stalling and move!"

Konoha lay far behind the group, nestled somewhere back in the deep forests that covered the Fire Country. As Naruto looked out through the canopy, he could just make out the sun clinging to the rims of the horizon, desperately trying to stay awake against the advancing night. The four shinobi had set an amazing pace, mostly thanks to the quiet that had gripped them since leaving the village. They were now less than half a day's travel from their destination in the Land of Waterfalls and were getting ready to set up camp.

"I'm not stalling," Naruto grumbled. "I just thought..."

"No fighting," Yamato said, glaring back at his subordinates.

"Us? Fight?" Sakura giggled nervously. "Whatever do you mean?"

"He is no doubt referring to your history of bickering amongst one another."

A visible shudder passed through Sakura's body as Sai spoke. She was still unused to the pale boy's mannerisms and phantom-like speech. She had tried to make him understand that fact during the trip. Sai either failed to grasp the concept or had not been listening, as every time he opened his mouth it seemed to get worse. Were it not for his completely hollow delivery of every last word, Sakura would have assumed he was doing it on purpose. As things stood, it was all the more likely that Sai simply had no comprehension of other peoples' feelings.

"Did anyone ask _you_?" the medic snorted. "Learn some manners. This conversation has nothing to do with you."

"I cannot ignore the both of you," Sai responded. "Not only are we on the same team, but you are both loud enough to be heard at quite a distance."

"That's quite enough," Yamato called out. Naruto and Sakura snapped to attention, but Sai was once again unaffected. "I don't know how Kakashi ran this unit, but I for one won't tolerate any more of this. Either you all behave like shinobi or I'm going to have to start using some _drastic_ measures."

"Drastic measures?" Naruto asked, tilting his head. "Like what?"

Yamato grinned almost maliciously as Naruto swallowed the bait, leaning in to glare at the ninja patronizingly. "For the most part, I can be just like Kakashi was. But if you continue to be unruly, I might just have to start ruling by fear."

"You're not that scary," Naruto replied petulantly. "I bet you couldn't scare a fly."

The new leader of Team Seven could not have been happier with Naruto's reaction. The second half of his display always worked better when at least one person failed to subscribe to the belief that the demure man could be frightening. With a slight chuckle, Yamato leaned toward the blond shinobi, trying to contain himself just a bit longer.

"Is that what you think?"

A sudden, terrified yelp sent a flock of birds scattering into the sky. Both Naruto and Sakura slapped their hands over their mouths to prevent any further noise as they stared into Yamato's perfected face of fear. The ANBU's suspiciously block-shaped head seemed drained of life as dark shadows obscured the curves of his cheek bones. Yamato's beady eyes seemed almost ready to leap out of their sockets as he glared at his new pupils, his gaze boring into their souls. He looked like a beast out of a child's nightmares, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

Just as suddenly as Yamato had adopted the look he abandoned it, eyeing the pair condemningly. "No more fighting. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," came the meek reply.

"Good!" Yamato chuckled. "Then let's get moving. Just a little longer and we'll set up camp for the night."

The two waited until Yamato was out of earshot before letting out a unified shudder, as though they were shaking themselves dry.

"Damn. That was creepy," Naruto gulped.

"I'll say," Sakura shivered, rubbing her arms to try warming herself up. "As long as I never have to see that face again, it's totally worth leaving your skull intact."

The conversation was interrupted as Sai pushed his way through the pair, moving to keep up with Yamato. Miraculously, the boy seemed completely unmoved by Yamato's terror technique, his gaze remaining as resolute and empty as ever. As the new recruit shuffled by, Naruto let out a low whistle and shook his head.

"You aren't human, I swear."

"I don't see how your inability to control your emotions has any effect on my humanity," Sai said bluntly. "Your cowardice is your own fault. Blame your lack of penis, not me."

As Sai walked off, Naruto was left speechless. He stood there blankly, trying to grasp at the proper words to voice his rapidly increasing hatred for his new teammate. He was astonished and enraged all at once, his confusion quite evident from the rapid blinking he was doing.

"_What did you just say to me_!" he finally managed to blurt out.

"I think you heard me," Sai yawned loudly, already quite far ahead of the Jinchuuriki. "Please don't attempt to disprove the statement...I'm sure neither I nor Sakura would approve."

"Shows what you know," Sakura sneered.

It took a moment for Sakura to realize what she had said, and another moment after that for what she considered the appropriate reaction to take place. Her face turned a violent shade of red just before she delivered a wild right hook that sent Naruto flying. A thick cloud of dust marked his landing zone well ahead of the rest of them, making Sakura's blush all the more powerful. A few seconds passed before Yamato's condescending voice could be heard once more.

"Glad to see at least someone here is taking the initiative!"

* * *

Jiyumaru bolted down the street, sweat pouring from his brow and his silver-streaked hair. He could not believe his luck, but considering that it was his fault Zurui was roaming the streets of Konoha, he had little reason to be surprised. This was the price he paid for not being in full control of the creatures he summoned.

"I'LL CLOBBER YOU TO DEATH!"

Yamanka Ino's embittered cry made for excellent motivation as Jiyumaru picked up the pace. Though the raging blonde was certainly not on the level of the Hokage or Sakura in terms of raw physical strength, she was still quite an accomplished shinobi and a member of the Yamanaka clan to boot. What she lacked in physical strength she made up for in mental prowess. The amount of sheer torture that he was likely to endure if she caught him only supplied more fuel for his legs, which burned with the effort of keeping him ahead of the mob that Ino had managed to rally. Konoha's women began to pour into the streets in one unified wave of rage, all directed at a certain ex-ANBU captain.

"Well, it wasn't exactly the best life," Jiyumaru whimpered, "but for a ninja I had a good run."

Just when all hope seemed to be lost, Jiyumaru spied his salvation around the next bend. There, standing like a holy shrine, was Ichiraku's Ramen Stand. If he could make it there, Ayame would certainly grant him sanctuary, just as she had several times in the past. That thought, along with the thundering sound of the stampede that was hot on his heels propelled him to an amazing speed. With a hoarse shout he dove into the shop, landing behind the counter and rolling to a stop against the wall.

"Jiyumaru?" Ayame blinked. "Most customers walk in like normal people."

"No time for that now!" Jiyumaru yelped. "Hide me before they kill me!"

Ayame stood at the counter, looking down at her long time friend whilst tapping the ladle in her hand against her palm. The look on her face was a mix between pity and the gaze of an angry schoolteacher. She bent down and looked him in the eyes, giving off an irate sigh.

"What did Zurui do _this time_?"

"_WHERE IS HE!_"

"It's a short story that I don't have time to tell you right now!" Jiyumaru panicked. "Just hide me! I don't care if it's in the pot with the ramen, just _hide me_!"

Ayame pondered her options as she stared at Jiyumaru, trying her best to hide how amused his current situation made her. The thunder of approaching footsteps cut her fun short, leaving her to decide where best to stash him. Without other options, she shoved him into the store room just behind the kitchen.

"And don't come out until I tell you it's safe, all right?" she whispered harshly.

"I'm fairly sure that won't be too difficult."

Ayame left her friend behind to deal with the throng developing outside the restaurant. With nothing else to do, Jiyumaru decided to use his time to explore the inner workings of the ramen stand. Rummaging through the various confections and seasonings produced nothing of real interest. Further searching revealed a recipe book and a few extra pots and pans, effectively giving Jiyumaru everything he would need to make himself a bowl of salty goodness. The only thing he was missing was the stovetop. The closest one however, was out front with the murderous women of Konoha, which made it the very last place Jiyumaru wanted to be.

Giving up on having a secret lunch, Jiyumaru leaned against a shelf and tried to relax. Boredom eventually led him to peruse its contents, finding a variety of tools for every day purposes. There was a screwdriver, a wrench, a box of matches, a hammer, a kunai...

"A kunai?" Jiyumaru mused. "What's this doing here?"

"Don't you have more important things to be worried about, kiddo?"

How Jiyumaru kept himself from shrieking like a little girl was something that the ANBU jounin would never quite find the answer to. The surprise of hearing someone else talking to him when he thought he had been alone was the perfect shock scare, yet all it managed to elicit from him was a sharp intake of breath. Where once there was nothing but bags of ramen noodles now sat Mitarashi Anko, succulently enjoying a trio of dango pierced through the middle by a toothpick.

"M-Mitarashi-san! What are you doing here?"

"I'd ask you the same question," she smirked, "only it seems pretty obvious. You really shouldn't summon that raccoon of yours if you can't keep it under control, y'know?"

"Why are you blaming _me_ for _his_ behavior!" Jiyumaru scowled. "I didn't raise the lech!"

"Be that as it may," Anko smiled, biting off another sugary orb, "most people don't understand that a summoner is not always in charge of what he summons. Those girls outside sure don't...and I bet they'd _love_ to know where you ended up."

Unease drifted between the two skilled warriors, drawing an awkward look from Jiyumaru as he slowly did the mental math. He turned to the doorframe that served as the only boundary between him and a horde of angry women. Knowing all too well where Anko was going with her statement, he let out a loud gulp and turned back to face her.

"You can't be serious," he whined.

"I'm quite serious, kiddo," she snickered. "What do you say? You take me to dinner, or I'll tell those pretty little flowers that you're holed up back here."

"You realize if you tell them, they'll kill me?"

"Nah, they'll just beat you within an inch of your life," Anko stated matter-of-factly. "And then you'll be in the loving care of Haruno Sakura...right after her best friend tells her what your raccoon did."

"You win!" Jiyumaru squeaked, flailing his arms in fear. "Dinner it is! DINNER IT IS!"

"I'm so glad you saw it my way," Anko cackled. "See you around eight!"

The trench coat wearing special jounin disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Jiyumaru with only ingredients and cutlery to talk to. Convinced he was alone again, he let out a deep sigh and slumped down against the shelf.

"That raccoon is gonna be the death of me."

* * *

It was a rare occurrence in the Land of Fire for there to be a solidly constructed, well maintained wooden house in the middle of nowhere. Yet that was precisely what Sakura beheld as she entered the clearing where Naruto, Sai and Yamato waited for her. For a moment she thought that it might be a genjutsu. Thorough examination proved that hypothesis to be incorrect, leaving her amazed at their good luck, if not a little a dumbfounded.

"I see you like my craftsmanship," Yamato beamed. "I always try to make them a little different each time."

"You made this!" the pinkette screeched. "Impossible! This would have taken you months!"

"It would seem Captain Yamato is the owner of a very rare Kekkei Genkai," Sai muttered. "The power of the Mokuton jutsu was something only the Shodai Hokage possessed. Not even his descendents inherited his power."

Sakura looked at Yamato curiously while Naruto slowly peeled himself off the forest floor. Dazed and confused from Sakura's vicious blow, he had nevertheless heard the entire conversation and wanted desperately to get his two ryou in.

"So what does that make you, Captain Yamato?" Naruto groaned, shaking the cobwebs out of his brain. "A very _lucky_ descendent, or what?"

"What I am is none of your business," Yamato glared. "All you need to know is that there will be no tents or stargazing while I'm around. This is where we'll be staying the night, assuming the three of you can get along that is. Otherwise, I think I can make you all an eight by eight cell."

"We'll be good!" Sakura squealed, unable to contain her excitement at the concept of a good night's rest in the wild.

"It's settled then," the team's leader announced. "I'll see you three in the morning. Try not to get into any trouble. If you spot anything, let me know. You can't be too careful out here."

Yamato and Sai retired at the same time, leaving the original half of Team Seven on the magnificent house's porch. The style was oddly civilian, with regular doors instead of the sliding variety. It spanned two floors, yet took up very little room in the shady clearing. It looked like a cottage in the middle of the wilderness without any sign of decay at all.

"What was that all about?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know," Sakura pondered. "Captain Yamato certainly is different."

"That's not what I meant," Naruto said. "I meant back there with Sai...before you punched me."

The bright glow returned to Sakura's cheeks as she avoided her teammate's gaze. "Oh, well you know...uh...it's just that...well um..."

"Come on Sakura," he pleaded. "You can tell me. We're practically family."

"Oh that does _not_ make the image I just had any more comforting!" Sakura whined. "Seriously Naruto, you can be so clueless!"

For what might have been the first time, Naruto actually took a moment to think over what Sakura had said. Revelation hit him like another one of Sakura's mighty fists, causing him to blush as well. He cleared his throat, trying to be as polite as he could.

"Ah, I see," he chuckled. "I kinda thought you'd just forget that and move on."

Sakura huffed angrily, crossing her arms and giving her friend a pout. "What made you think I would be able to forget that?"

The two shared an awkward moment before Sakura cleared her throat, a hand gripping her left arm tightly in order to squeeze out the nervousness she was experiencing.

"Forget I said anything. Let's just get some rest, all right?"

Naruto remained outside for a bit, looking up at the sky in a contemplative manner before deciding to turn in.

* * *

The night passed uneventfully. Despite having an entire house to run amok in, the original members of Team Seven found it impossible to get into any mischief at all. The walls seemed thin and the fact that Yamato had created everything led them to believe he could also see everything. That was enough incentive for the both of them to go to sleep almost as soon as they had slipped into their sleeping bags.

Breakfast was as good as could be expected. Feeling it would be rude to leave the comfort of Yamato's makeshift home to cook a warm breakfast, Naruto and Sakura instead threw together an assortment of fruits and bread to eat. Yamato joined them shortly after they began, but the trio did not see Sai until they were just about ready to leave. He exited the house just before Yamato disassembled it, which earned him inquisitive glares from Naruto and Sakura. After Yamato returned the house to the earth which had spawned it, the group set off towards the Land of Waterfalls, leaving behind no evidence of their passing.

The location of their mission was a bustling neutral city that sat on the border of the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Fire. It stuck out against the backdrop of lush forests and gentle streams with its lamp posts and high tech buildings, giving it a surreal look amidst the natural beauty of the country. The flora of the Land of Fire would have nothing to do with the concrete jungle, staying on its side of the boundary between the wilds and paved roads. It was unlike any other place that Naruto had visited in his travels, as though this town existed several years in the future. For a moment the group was certain it had stepped forward in time somehow, to a place just beyond their current understanding. This feeling evaporated as a stout man with a goatee trudged past them, dragging an old fashion noodle cart behind him.

Opting to stay within the little pocket of civilization, the team rented a series of rooms at a local hotel that were to act as their base of operations. Once Yamato was satisfied with the arrangements, the four shinobi met their client inside the town's claim to fame: a large stone building with glorious stain glass windows that acted as a special repository for all of the Land of Waterfall's neighbouring countries. The building, as the pamphlets boasted, was built as a combined effort between the Great Shinobi Nations as a place to store all sorts of information. It was an ambitious project that brought the town just as much thievery as success. Since much information was housed there and since a large amount of it could be used for vile purposes, the building was outfitted with the greatest security measures known to the ninja world, with staff that was handpicked by some of the most renowned ninja in the world. For all intents and purposes, the building was theft proof.

The team met up with a stocky man who turned out to be the repository's curator. His most defining feature was that he possessed the most comical nose Naruto had ever seen. It looked much like a shrivelled eggplant, curved strangely toward his mouth, making it appear as though he were trying to eat it every time he spoke. This would have caused Naruto to burst out laughing for certain, were it not for the fact that the man's voice was completely juxtaposed to how he appeared. Instead of something nasally or high-pitched, his voice was deep and gruff, commanding the sort of respect that Naruto rarely gave anyone. It was a humbling experience for someone so silly looking to drag along a team of experienced shinobi as though they were a litter of newborn puppies.

"And this section has measures set up by Kumogakure and Iwagakure," the curator boasted. "Of course, I can't tell you anything about it, and even if I could, I don't know how it works. Best way to make sure nobody can overthrow your security system is to make sure nobody knows anything about it in the first place, right?"

"That...definitely seems like it would work," Yamato frowned, quite concerned over the intense ignorance the smallish man portrayed. "But that doesn't quite answer what you need _us_ for. Your request was incredibly vague."

"Ah, yes," the curator chuckled, clapping his hands together. "Well, that's because I couldn't risk anyone getting a hold of the information, you see. Our carrier birds are always getting shot down. We have to make sure the information is direct and to the point, without giving anything sensitive away. That and we release about twenty birds every time we need to send a message, so..."

"That's all well and good," Yamato grimaced. "But why are we here, again?"

"Oh goodness, my manners!" The curator clapped his hands again, and suddenly a group of well dressed servants rushed onto the scene from out of nowhere, offering everyone a drink of water. The curator guzzled his before the servants sped off, not even giving Naruto a chance to reach for his glass. "Yes, well, you see, recently we've had a series of attempted thefts. Normally such things would _never_ bother me, as our security systems are untouchable. But – and here's the very disconcerting part – some of them have been broken through. I don't know how they did it, but they managed to get through at least one, if not _two _of our security measures. And they aren't stopping. Whatever they want is worth enough to them to brave the dangers over and over again."

"That sounds like one determined thief," Sakura mused. "How many times have they tried to steal from you?"

"Counting the very last time, that makes about twelve."

"If this guy's tried twelve times and failed, then he's not gonna succeed," Naruto grumbled. "Why did we bother coming out here?"

"The fact that he's still _alive_, my good ninja," the curator admonished, "is reason enough to be concerned. These traps aren't meant to be cautionary devices. They're deadly. He's managed to come back not just once, but twelve times. That means we're dealing with someone who's not your run of the mill thief."

"What do you suppose he's after?" Yamato asked.

"Impossible to say," the curator sighed. "We have a lot of information that's accessible to the public, and a lot more that _isn't_. He could be after almost anything. Though I can tell you that the attempts started not long after we acquired our latest addition."

"Latest addition?" Sakura inquired. "What would that be?"

"Follow me and I'll show you!"

The curator took the group into the main hall of the repository before pulling out a long ring of keys. Taking quite a while to pick the right one, he shoved the awkwardly designed key into an inconspicuous wall. The wall opened up to reveal a secret door that led to a display case where three sets of incredibly ancient tomes were laid out for public viewing. As the four shinobi followed the stocky gentleman, Sakura took notice of how Sai seemed utterly unimpressed by the grand tour, yet was furiously sketching something into a black book that he kept in his backpack.

"This," the curator said in awe, showing off the centerpiece to his is display, "is a text we've just had dated and appears to be over a thousand years old! The writing inside is a very, very old form of our language, and is still giving us trouble in translating. From what we can tell however, it seems to be some form of atlas."

"An atlas?" Yamato whistled. "If it really is as old as you say it is, I can understand why someone would want to steal it."

"I can't," Naruto grumbled. "What the hell would someone want with a really old map?"

"Are you seriously that dense!" Sakura snarled, taking a swing at her partner. "That kind of information could go for a lot of money. This book is probably worth more than Konohagakure!"

"The little lady is correct," the curator assured them. "That is the reason why it has been sent _here_ instead of to some nation where it would inevitably end up in someone's fancy collection, or worse. That's why I've become very concerned...and why I hired you all."

"That seems logical," Sai finally spoke up, putting his black book away. "You want us to stop the thief before he has a chance to steal something...presumably the atlas."

"Precisely!" the curator beamed. "It's not like I expect you to brave the traps yourselves, mind you. That would be suicide! Even so, I trust you will perform...admirably?"

"You can count on us," Yamato nodded. "All right team, let's get going. We've got a perimeter to set up."

"Excellent, excellent!" the curator cheered. "I feel compelled to inform you that the thief only shows up at night, so feel free to take as much time as you need."

The team set off to begin their preparations, with Sai lagging behind just long enough to take a quick sketch of the curator's prized possession, rolling the scroll up and stashing it away along with other such pictures that were destined to end up in far darker hands.

* * *

Night descended upon the town quietly, replacing vibrant colors with murky black shadows. Street lights flickered on as soon as the sun set, giving the small border community a healthy golden glow that could be seen for a mile around. That was too much light in Naruto's opinion, but this place was not a Hidden Village. It was in neutral territory and therefore welcomed visitors from all countries and factions. He'd even learned that the repository held tours during the day. He idly began to wonder if Hinata would mind going to one.

_Thwack!_

"Watch where you're walking!" Naruto growled as Sakura's heel dug into his cheek. The two of them were hiding in one of the trees outside the town's giant archive, concealed by the area's thick foliage.

"Sorry Naruto!" Sakura attempted to adjust her position, but only succeeded in kicking her teammate in the face. The two finally managed to find a rather uncomfortable arrangement that had them pressed back to back on the tree's thin branch, looking out through a gap in the leafs.

"Did I do something to offend you?" Naruto whispered hoarsely.

"I said I was sorry," Sakura replied. "See anything yet?"

"Not a thing," he sighed. "We might not see anything tonight. We could be here for days."

"It wouldn't be the first time. You act like you've got something important waiting for you back...oh, right."

Naruto rolled his eyes, reaching back to take a swipe at his friend but failing. "What can I say?"

"You don't have to say anything," Sakura chuckled. "You're in love...and you're an idiot. It's not like I can blame you."

"Oh, thanks," Naruto grumbled. "Why haven't you gotten anyone Sakura? It's not like you're having problems attracting guys."

"What's this all of a sudden?" she flushed, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Who are you, Ino?"

"I'm just curious," he muttered defensively. "You're pretty and you really shouldn't have any problems picking up boys, so what gives? Unless you know...you're..."

"I'm not gay, Naruto!" she snapped. "I just...no one in Konoha _does_ it for me, you know? I guess it's hard for you to understand, since you have Hinata and all."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean! You two are _perfect_ for each other. I've barely seen you two apart. You're...well...you're like soul mates, or something equally gaudy. It would be sickening if it wasn't so _right_."

"I think you've been reading too many romance novels, Sakura," Naruto laughed. "Seriously, you can't really mean all that. My relationship with Hinata isn't _that_ amazing."

Sakura frowned slightly, turning to face the trunk of the tree. "You'd better not let her hear you say that."

There was no time for a reply as Sakura leapt from the branch that Naruto was hiding on and moved further down the tree. She slipped past Yamato's hiding spot, giving her current captain a curt nod before making it around to the other end of the tree, where Sai was busy with his little black book again. Though she loathed admitting it, she found herself interested in what the quiet boy was up to. Since Naruto was currently being dumber than she cared to put up with, she decided to test the waters and speak to her new teammate.

"Hey, Sai," she greeted nervously. "What're you up to?"

Several silent moments passed with no response. Sai seemed completely absorbed in whatever he was doing, completely shutting out the outside world as he moved his brush with frenetic yet carefully planned strokes. He was a paradox, able to be calm while also being panicked. Each time his brush caressed the paper, a new story came to life, weaving together with earlier streaks to create one amazing picture. All the while his eyes never seemed to leave what it was he was looking at, which in this case was the well-lit frame of the repository.

Naturally curious as to what he was working on, Sakura attempted to spy on Sai by peeking over his shoulder. She only got a short glimpse of Sai's interpretation of their surroundings before he turned to face her, his eyes digging tunnels through her soul as he stared at her.

"Can I help you?"

A soft squeak was the only sound Sakura could mutter at first, the rest of her senses paralyzed by a ghostly fear of the fledgling artist. She took a moment to recompose herself before taking a seat next to him.

"I was just curious as to what you were working on," she said bluntly. "I mean, you're always drawing something, but I never see what."

"And?"

"Well, aren't you friendly?" Sakura muttered dismissively. "I just wanted to know. That's all."

The sound of rustling leafs replaced a spoken reply as the pair sat there staring at each other. Sakura was vaguely aware that she might have upset the boy. Or rather, she would have, were he like other boys she had met. Sai seemed completely indifferent at all times, an emotionless face that cared nothing for those around him. The way he failed to react to anything she did was beginning to upset her, which only made things worse. She felt childish as she sat there, waiting for him to respond in the way that almost any other human being would. She almost wanted him to make her angry, just so she would have an excuse to hit him. If only he would...

"It's a hobby."

Shock was the only response Sakura could offer. She was not certain how proceed now that Sai showed a sudden desire to socialize. Since he had been assigned to the team he had given them no opening to discuss his life in any detail. He was a mystery that none of them could solve, nor had they bothered to try. But now fortune smiled on Sakura, giving her a chance to learn.

"So you paint?" she asked cautiously, not wanting to set off any alarms. "Can I see some of your work?"

Once again there was no verbal reply. Sai held out his black book, letting Sakura gaze at the beautiful rendition of their surroundings that he had created. Sakura gasped as she stared at the marvellous piece of art, reaching out with her fingers to mimic the contours of the dazzling green and black backdrop. The sheer detail of the painting, from the glow of the lamp posts to the blades of grass, left Sakura breathless.

"Wow," she murmured. "That's incredible! Have you been painting these sorts of things the entire trip?"

"Yes," came the stone cold reply. "I paint what I see."

Sai's gaze hardened as he suddenly found himself without his book. Sakura snatched it without warning, flipping through pages and looking at the rest of her new teammate's work. Each page contained new wonders for her to peruse, highlighting the various things that seemed to pique Sai's fledgling interest. In an obscure way, she was staring into the only emotional outlet the boy had, despite the fact that he was just as cold and calculating with his brush strokes as he was in conversation. It was a sight she would not soon forget.

As she continued sifting through the book, she eventually made it to the centerfold. On one of the pages was a picture of a boy that Sakura had never seen before with his hand outstretched towards the center of the book. The other page remained mysteriously empty, though a cursory glanced showed that several of the pages after it were filled in with drawings of other cities, villages and an occasional fight.

"Who is this?" Sakura asked, showing the middle of the book to its owner. "Someone you know?"

Sakura yelped as Sai took the book from her and shut it. It was sudden, but Sai did not look the least bit angry. He simply stashed the book in his bag and resumed his job as watch, keeping his eyes away from her.

"I just wanted to know," she huffed. "You don't need to be so aggressive."

"I simply have no wish to discuss this with you," Sai said in his dreadful monotone. "We have a duty and you are shirking your responsibilities."

"So were you!"

"Unlike you, I can do my job and indulge in my hobby at the same time," Sai countered. "While we're on that subject, you should wear less revealing clothing. Not only are we not in a position where we require you to seduce anyone, but you are not pretty enough to be wearing such things."

"Wh-what did you just say!" Sakura shrieked.

"Perhaps I was being too polite?" Sai asked. "I meant, quite honestly, that you are ugly."

The only thing that spared Sai his fate was the earth shattering explosion that rocked the entire city. Shattered stone and concrete whizzed past the tree as clouds of smoke and ash billowed out from the town's archives.

In a flash, all four members of Team Seven were on the move.

* * *

"Yeeeesh! That was close!"

"Stop your damn complaining! I don't know how you managed to dodge all that, but I still wouldn't have had to blast us out of there if you hadn't triggered the damn traps in the first place!"

As the smoke began to clear, two disgruntled silhouettes came into view. A stiff breeze brushed away the acrid clouds, revealing two men in black cloaks stylized with red clouds. The first to step out of the rubble of the town's most important building sported a head of majestic blond hair, the back of which was pulled into a pony tail and the front of which draped over his left eye. His face was currently affixed in an angry scowl, threatening to crack under the pressure of having to deal with his subordinate's behaviour. His subordinate was a man of few features save a single eye, the rest being hidden behind a spiral pattern orange mask. His hair was a brown shrubbery, jutting out in sticky points that never seemed to go down despite how many times he tried.

"But it wasn't _my_ fault we triggered the trap!" the masked man whined. "How was I supposed to know that the front door was booby trapped?"

"Because _everything was booby trapped you moron!_" the blond shouted furiously. "I explained this before we went in!"

"But you never said anything specific about the door!"

"GAH! Shut the hell up, unless you want a cause of death, hm!"

Before the two could engage in an act of civil violence, Team Seven interrupted them. Each member of the four man squad landed on the ground ready for combat with their kunai and other weapons drawn. The masked man panicked, flailing his arms and pointing in Naruto's direction. The blond man turned to face his new bright haired adversary, and promptly imitated his partner, albeit with much more zeal.

"YOU AGAIN!"

The veteran members of Team Seven found their jaws nearly touching the ground. There was no mistaking the late Sasori's partner, a man with flamboyant hair and distasteful disposition. Sakura's frame visibly shuddered as she recalled the horrid visions and nightmares that plagued her sleep for many weeks after dealing with Akatsuki's redheaded puppet master, while Naruto's body quaked in rage.

"What in the hell is Akatsuki doing here!" he bellowed.

"Currently we're escaping an exploding building," the masked man piped up jovially. "Compliments of Deidara-senpai!"

"Tobi, for Kami's sake, shut the hell up!" Deidara spat. "Look, what we're doing here is none of your business...and while I'd _love_ to repay you all for a year ago, I've got much more important things to deal with, so buzz off, hm!"

"Fat chance of that!" Sakura yelled. "You aren't getting away this time!"

"Well, at least you have backup," Deidara sneered. "I wouldn't want to see what happens to you if you don't become someone's puppet this time."

Deidara's last remark was enough to make Sakura cringe. She could still remember quite vividly the horrors that Sasori had committed not only on others, but on himself. In order to defeat the walking nightmare, Sakura had joined forces with Chiyo of Sunagakure, becoming a puppet made of flesh guided by the old kunoichi's expert reflexes. Together they had defeated one of Akatsuki's best, but it still left the pinkette with a sour taste in her mouth. Unlike when she was younger, she had managed to prove her worth in that battle. It unfortunately only happened because she had help. She was still unable to shake the guilt.

"He's got the book!'

Yamato's voice ripped through the air and drew everyone's attention to Deidara's right hand. Tucked under his arm was the repository's newest addition, the ancient atlas that they had seen earlier in the day. The very thing they were trying to protect was in Akatsuki's hands.

"So, you're the thieves!" Naruto pointed at Deidara angrily. "I should have known it would be no good assholes like you!"

"What is he talking about, Deidara-senpai?" Tobi squealed in anguish. "Is that all Akatsuki really is? Just petty thieves?"

"I said shut the hell up!" Deidara raged. "Your cause of death is definitely going to be _blunt force trauma!_

"As for you lot," he said, gesturing to Team Seven, "I haven't got a clue what you're talking about, but since we're technically stealing this little book, that sort of does make us thieves, hm?"

"So wait, we _are_ thieves?" Tobi asked.

"...I can't wait for you to die," Deidara moaned.

"Maybe if we wait a little longer they'll kill each other off for us," Sakura muttered as Deidara and Tobi broke into another argument. The team became invisible as they bickered, leaving Team Seven to discuss strategy.

"But we can't risk the book," Yamato said quietly. "It's our mission to protect it, remember?"

"Well that's simple then!" Naruto smirked. "Hey, you idiots! Yeah, you guys from Akatsuki!"

Deidara retrieved his fist from Tobi's face, shaking out the dull ache it had gained from beating the junior member's mask. "Oh shit, that's right! You're still here."

"_OF COURSE WE'RE STILL HERE!_" Naruto hollered. "Where did you think we'd gone!"

"Can't say I really care," Deidara chuckled. "Let me just guess...you idiots were hired to guard this place, and that means we have to fight, hm?"

"We can't simply let you steal from these people and leave," Yamato said. "On top of that, you're both wanted criminals. You wouldn't be escaping without a confrontation anyway."

"I suppose you're right," Deidara chuckled. "Luckily, I always come prepared for these sorts of setbacks."

"Huh? Oh that's right!" Tobi announced brazenly. "Look to the skies! Deidara-senpai is absolutely _amazing!_"

It was pure fascination with the way Tobi directed their attention that caused the group to follow his command. Their eyes turned to the starlit skies, searching the infinite darkness for anything out of the ordinary. When the team finally found what it was they were looking for, each of them save for Sai elicited a sharp gasp. Hanging high above the village was a human shaped doll made out of disturbingly white clay. It hovered ominously above the village, its empty expression a chilling forewarning of its purpose.

"Has that been there the entire time?" Naruto asked incredulously. "What the hell _is_ it?"

"It's...a giant clay statue," Sakura confirmed, glaring at Deidara. "And it looks like the same clay that _he_ uses!"

"I've read your file," Yamato growled at Deidara. "Your creations explode. I suppose that's a gigantic bomb, then?"

"You catch on quick!" Deidara laughed. "It is indeed a gigantic bomb, one big enough to wipe this city off any and all maps!"

Yamato paled. This was absurd. How had he not noticed something that big before now? Had it only just gotten there? No matter how, when or why, Deidara's intent was obvious: either they let him go, or the city would suffer.

"Look, we're all smart people, hm?" Deidara smirked. "I'm not gonna bother with the melodramatic details. We're going to leave now, and I don't want to see or hear any of you until we're long, long gone, got it? Otherwise..."

"_Chojuu Giga._"

A spiral of cartoonish black and white lions cut Deidara's maniacal ultimatum short. The surprise attack caught both members of Akatsuki off guard and drove them back into the repository, where they threatened to trigger one of the facility's death traps. Tobi busied himself with awkwardly dodging every attack that came his way, falling backwards to avoid the first blow before running around like a scared child. Deidara was forced to fend off several caricatures at once, forced to fight with only one of his arms in order to defend the stolen book. This proved to only be a minor setback for the dangerous missing-nin, as Sai's animated beasts were no match for Deidara's exploding figurines. Sloppy patches of ink splattered and dribbled down the walls as sets of clay spiders and rats clung to Sai's creations and blew them apart. When the calamity finally abated – and Tobi stopped flailing his arms – Deidara stepped out of the hole in the wall in order to face the team from Konoha.

"What the hell are you thinking!" Naruto shouted at Sai.

"Protecting the book is our mission," Sai stated dryly. "I am simply attempting to accomplish our mission."

"That doesn't mean you can risk the lives of innocents!" Sakura cried. "What are you thinking!"

"Your feelings are getting in the road of your job."

"What did you say!"

"As much as I love watching you three fight," Deidara clicked his tongue, "I regret to inform you that breaking our deal does not bode well for the citizens."

A quick hand sign sent Deidara's massive bomb plummeting towards the city. A loud screech began to fill the air as it tore through the sky, falling at amazing speed toward the heart of the quiet border community.

"And now if you'll excuse us..."

Deidara vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Tobi behind for just a moment before the masked shinobi followed suit. Sai, seemingly undeterred by the city's imminent destruction, ran off into the tree line, following a barely visible trail of ink in order to chase after Deidara and Tobi.

"Damn it Sai!" Naruto cried. "Get back here!"

"Go after him!" Yamato commanded. "Follow him and make sure neither one of those two get away!"

"But what about the city?" Sakura asked.

"I can deal with this," Yamato said confidently. "What I can't deal with is an insubordinate shinobi who's probably going to get himself killed. Now _go_!"

Naruto and Sakura shared a distressed nod before going after Sai. Yamato let out an angered sigh as he turned his focus towards the sky.

"Things never get any easier."

* * *

"Deidara-senpaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, SLOW DOWN!"

"Are you stupid?" Deidara snapped at his partner. "If you want to get caught, that's your problem!"

"But you're leaving me behind!" Tobi whined.

"Good! Then maybe you can stop making Akatsuki look like a bunch of silly thugs!"

Deidara bounded off a tree branch before lobbing a series of skittish clay spiders into the foliage to his right. The cacophonic explosions flushed Sai out of hiding, who countered with another wave of animated animals. This time, a swarm of bats spewed forth from the pale ninja's scroll, creating a wall of living ink. Deidara countered the jutsu in his typical fashion, launching another wave of living explosives at it. Each bat that he killed splattered ink across the immediate area, panting the forest black. Deidara clicked his tongue in annoyance, moving the hair out from in front of his left eye as he scanned the trees for the disappeared painter.

"That kid is fast," he mumbled.

"Deidara-senpai, what should we do!" Tobi yelped. "The bomb is going to hit any moment!"

"We should be fine," Deidara said. "We're far enough away. Now hush...I'm hunting shinobi."

* * *

Yamato grimaced as he slapped a few hand signs together. Timing was everything, especially with this quickly hatched plan. There would be no stopping that thing from colliding with the ground. Yamato guessed it weighed far more than it appeared to and he possessed no shielding abilities that could deal with an explosive this large. From what he had read, this was not the first time Deidara had done something like this. The difference between then and now was that Yamato was not the fifth Kazekage.

"Here goes nothing," he breathed.

Yamato slammed his palms into the ground, pouring his chakra through the soil into the roots that stretched inward from the forest. The earth split wide those roots grew at Yamato's behest, spiralling through the sky directly at Deidara's giant bomb. With a final grunt, Yamato emptied as much of his chakra into the jutsu as he could and rammed the explosive doll. The result was much what the ANBU captain had hoped. The blow knocked the white statue off course, sending it flying through the air into the forest to the west. As soon as it hit the ground it exploded, rocking the village with a potent shockwave as flames and smoke claimed the night.

"That was close..." he muttered, sweat pouring from his brow. "Now, to catch up to the others."

* * *

Sap spattered Deidara's robes, as pieces of loose bark flew past his face like shrapnel. He let loose another clay spider, watching as it brought fiery destruction to yet another towering oak. Each explosion was another attempt at flushing Sai out from hiding. It was so much fun for Deidara to watch things blow up that finding Sai was slowly becoming less and less of a priority.

"Come out come out wherever you are, little brat!" Deidara taunted. "I just want to see you splattered across the floor, that's all, hm!"

Despite his masterful taunt, there appeared to be no sign of the concealed ninja. It occurred to Deidara that his search method was likely to blame for that, but being overt came with its own set of perks. For one, it instilled a bit of fear in his adversaries as they came to realize he simply did not care how much he had to go through to get them. Secondly, it made him look like a complete idiot, which often made people–

The attack came from the right. Deidara's lips curved into a wicked smile as another wave of inked creatures bounded out of the thick foliage. Each one exploded into thick black liquid as a swarm of clay insects burst forth from behind Deidara, colliding with the attempted surprise attack.

"Let your guard down," the explosives expert grinned. "My turn."

Deidara quickly reached into the pouches hanging from his sides, squeezing down on the clay inside them before pulling his hands back out. Each palm quivered, a pair of disgusting mouths smacking their lips and slurping in as much clay as they could. Slapping his hands together, the two mouths got to work shaping the clay, turning into a twelve inch replica of Deidara. Sai was already on the move, but it was too late. Deidara loosed his small doll, watching it litter the ground with smaller bombs that exploded in peppering blasts. This quickly dispatched Sai's clone and destroyed enough surrounding flora to reveal the Konoha shinobi once more. The small model leapt forward and exploded just before reaching the boy, sending him flying through the air until he smacked into the thick trunk of a poplar. Deidara chuckled as Sai struggled to get back to his feet, the world doing impressive somersaults thanks to the brutal impact.

"They just don't make shinobi like they used to," Deidara teased.

Both members of Akatsuki jumped down to the forest floor, looming over Sai like death incarnate. Deidara took much glee in grabbing the unsociable teen by his hair and slamming him against the poplar's trunk once more. Sai could barely see through the daze that gripped him, but he could just make out the mouth on Deidara's left hand opening up as a sickly tongue proceeded to lick the palm's disturbing lips.

"I gotta say, you got guts kid," Deidara hummed. "But unfortunately in this world, guts just get you killed. At least your death is gonna be one of my masterpieces, hm."

Sai's vision returned to normal just in time for him to see Deidara's hand mouth chewing on an especially thick wad of clay. The hand slowly moved forward, slipping its tongue out and angling it towards Sai's mouth. The outcome was obvious. To his character, Sai did not even flinch as he felt the slippery appendage start to worm its way into his mouth, ready to deliver death to him.

The kunai slammed into Deidara's back, cutting into his spine. The crippling blow looked to be successful, but instead his body gave way to hardening white clay. Tobi squealed in surprise, flailing his arms as Sai slipped out from the fake Deidara's grasp. Naruto and Sakura emerged from behind one of the few trees that still stood in the newly formed clearing, eliciting applause from Deidara as he revealed himself once more, stepping out from behind the panicking Tobi.

"Nicely done," he chuckled. "Waiting for the exact moment I was open to reveal yourselves. You should have waited a little longer, hm? You would've killed me for sure."

"Sorry," Naruto growled. "Even though I don't like Sai, I couldn't just wait for you to kill him."

"Excuses," Deidara snorted. "So this is how it's gonna be, hm? A giant brawl over a book? Can't you just turn around and let us go?"

"Our mission was to keep that book away from thieves," Sakura said. "We're not going to let you get away with it, even if you _aren't_ the real thief!"

"Oh man, don't you know how _hard_ it was to get this thing?" Tobi complained. "We almost died six times just getting inside the place!"

"You mean _I_ almost died six times," Deidara groaned. "You just flailed around like an idiot and somehow survived."

"Enough," Sai shouted, though his voice did not approach anger in any form. "You are not escaping. That is final."

"Fine by me, hm!" Deidara smiled. "Let's do this!"

_BAMF!_

Three separate smoke bombs went off all at once, covering the surrounding forest in thick clouds. Both teams were covered by the choking mist, obscuring their vision and reducing their communication to rasping coughs. The two members of Akatsuki flailed around, desperately searching for one another while Deidara clung to his stolen goods tightly.

"What the hell?" Deidara managed to cry out. "Whose big idea is this!"

"I'll take that."

Deidara watched a bright flash fly through the air, cutting across his right arm. A split second later the limb came flying off, sending a spray of blood across the grass. Crying out in pain, Deidara gripped the remainder of his arm in order to stifle the loss of blood.

"Oh god damn it, not again!"

Across from Akatsuki's side of the conflict, Naruto had somehow managed to stumble out of the smoke, gasping for breath as his lungs were greeted with fresh air. He looked around, trying to get his bearings. As far as he could tell, Deidara and Tobi were on the other side of the huge smokescreen, while Sakura and Sai were only a few feet from him. From the way Deidara was shouting, it was obvious that this trap was not Akatsuki's doing, which put Naruto on edge. If someone else was out here, he would have to be extra careful.

A swish from the far end of the cloud cover caught Naruto's attention. At first he was certain it was Deidara, or Deidara's crazy partner. Closer inspection revealed the shadowy figure to look nothing like either of them. Whoever it was, they had long hair and a very angry looking sword. And, as Naruto just barely made out, a large book under their left arm...

"Hey!" Naruto shouted out. "Get back here! That book doesn't belong to you!"

The mysterious figure heard Naruto's voice and made a break for it. Branches creaked under his weight as he escaped via the high road, leaving the scene of the crime. Not to be outdone, Naruto took to the trees as well, hot on the new thief's trail. He realized that leaving Sakura and Sai behind might have been a bad idea, but he had confidence in the both of them, even if only one of them deserved it. They could deal with Akatsuki, and he could deal with the book.

The stranger did his best to make tailing him all but impossible. Random turns complimented with an arsenal of violent distractions, from kunai to severed tree branches. Every second was heart pounding as Every heart pounding second, Naruto relentlessly chased the faceless thief, knowing that if he looked away for a mere half second, it would be over. The chase lasted what seemed like forever, projecting down a corridor of green and brown walls with a dark moonlit ceiling. Naruto felt like he'd been down this very hallway before, sometime long ago, but with a much more frantic purpose to his step. Failure seemed like a much better option this time around, but it was not one that the plucky blond was willing to take just yet.

He was completely unprepared for it to be forced on him. The thief's shadowy frame vanished from sight without warning, flickering out of view and leaving behind a swaying tree branch. Naruto flung his kunai at the ground ahead of him, watching the throwing knife cut his quarry off. Thinking that there was no escape now, Naruto moved in for the decisive blow, only to be met with an ear shattering explosion. The world went silent as Naruto spun through the air, his hearing dulled by the potent blast. His ears still rang as he pulled himself out of the pile of bark that littered the forest floor, searching for the runaway brigand. The only thing Naruto found were a set of fresh tracks that led out of the forest and into the grassy plains further south.

"I've got you now!" Naruto proclaimed. "Just you wait!"

Naruto followed the trail as it curved around the edge of the forest until it disappeared into the tall grass. Taking a look across the empty meadow, Naruto realized that he was alone in the night. Anger sank in first, causing him to curse at the starry sky. Thanks to him, their mission was a complete failure. Sakura would definitely never let him live it down.

"At least I can take it out on those bastards from Akatsuki!" he grinned.

Fate worked in mysterious ways around Uzumaki Naruto. Often it gave him precisely what he wanted without his say so, forcing him into situations that were beneficial to him and anyone around him. At that very moment, it conspired to put a loose tree root in Naruto's way just as he turned around, sending him tumbling across the ground. It also had the good sense to aim him at a certain fallen tree trunk, which gave way to reveal a secret passage as he slammed into it. This secret passage opened into a five foot shaft that was hollowed out of the ground. Normally the trip to the bottom would have been completed via the rope ladder that was fastened to the near wall, or by jumping down. Unfortunately for Naruto, his trip to the bottom came in the form of a painful tumble down the hole which ended in an equally painful face plant. The blow to his head was the final link in the chain of that night's events, and Naruto passed out.

* * *

"Oh this is just amazing," Deidara groaned. "Absolutely amazing."

The two members of Akatsuki had escaped from the smoke blanket and were hiding near the forest's edge. Deidara leaned against a withered sequoia, clutching the remnants of his left arm as he looked up at the sky. Tobi was currently carrying the mangled limb, looking it over much like a jeweller would appraise new merchandise. He took a moment to look up from the severed arm, tilting his head like a curious puppy as he did.

"It could be worse, Deidara-senpai!" he consoled.

"Really?" Deidara asked. "And how could it be worse?"

"They could have stolen the book."

"THEY DID STEAL THE DAMN BOOK YOU MORON!" Deidara screamed. He lunched at his partner, grabbing him by the neck with his good arm.

"B-b-b-b-b-but can't we just use the d-dragon to track them, senpai!" Tobi blurted, despite the fact that his windpipe was currently being crushed.

"The dragon?" Deidara questioned. "You mean C2? Damn, why the hell didn't I think of that, hm?"

Deidara pushed Tobi aside, running off through the trees again. The masked shinobi took a few moments to try and piece together what was going on before chasing after his partner, calling out pathetically for the blond to wait up.

* * *

Naruto groaned as his senses returned to him. His head throbbed intermittently, reminding him of the rather disgraceful fall he had taken. Impenetrable darkness surrounded him on all sides, while cold dirt seemed to line the floor. Though he was unsure of where he was, he was certain he did not want to be there.

A noise came from somewhere to his right. Before Naruto could react, a foot planted itself firmly on his chest, pinning him to the floor. A second later he felt the cold metal of a blade as his throat, coaxing him into uncharacteristic silence.

"I don't know who you are, but you made a big mistake tracking me this far."

Warmth spread across Naruto's cheeks as a lantern poured light across the room. The overzealous Jinchuuriki was surprised to discover he was in some form of makeshift home, a hovel carved out of dirt and clay to form a suitable living space. The corner housed a dirtied cot that had obviously seen better days, but was still able to serve its purpose. Several shelves were made out of the walls, housing things like spare cash and lantern oil. It was the sort of living a hermit would do, completely secluded from civilized society and living alone. It made the blond feel sad just looking at it.

"What the...you've gotta be kidding me."

The thief's voice sounded strangely familiar to Naruto. He turned to look at his captor and was momentarily blinded by the light from the lantern. As his eyes adjusted, he made out the red of a tattered vest and a head of untamed brown hair. When the light finally stopped bothering him, Naruto's eyes shot wide open in shock as he suddenly realized who he was looking at.

"Yakusho?"

* * *

**Sorry for the massive wait folks. I've been busy with class and funerals and whatnot. Here's hoping everything else doesn't take this long.**


	3. Announcement

This is an announcement to say that further progress on Dragonsoul is suspended, possibly indefinitely.

When I started writing Dragonheart, my love for Naruto was at its peak. Now, my joy for the series has left, leaving nothing but disappointment and minor heartbreak in its wake. Naruto is not the shining beacon of quality it once was. Its magic has dissipated into nothing more than cheap tactics to keep people reading what has become nothing more than another Dragonball Z clone...and one that tries to stay far too 90s-style hip.

I apologize to everyone who's been waiting eagerly for the next chapter that may never come. If by some miracle Naruto starts being interesting and magical again, who knows what will happen...but that likely just will never be the case. I don't know what I'll do in the meantime, but anything is better than slamming my head against a brick wall, writing about a series that I simply don't care about anymore.

-UmbreonMessiah


End file.
